Vibrations

by Wood, Lorena

  Nick stopped at his car and leaned against the door. “What’s the big deal about her? Don’t you want to know how your hardworking Phoenix detectives figured it out?”

  “Aw, come on. I know you guys don’t like working with psychics, but she’s a big story. I can make it worth your while.” He rubbed his fingers together making his intent clear.

  Nick smiled and walked around the reporter until he had him backed up to his car. He leaned in close and whispered.

  “Tell you what, Billy. Mind if I call you Billy? I can make this worth your while.”

  The reporter’s eyes widened with excitement, and then fear. Nick pushed him back into the car and twisted the camera strap around his neck.

  “This is how I can make it worth your while.” Nick’s voice was a quiet growl. “You leave her alone, and I’ll leave you alone. She doesn’t need you plastering her face all over the paper every day. You ever think about how the killer feels about her getting in his way?”

  The reporter’s face was turning red and he shook his head to signal a negative answer.

  “I didn’t think so. We’re all trying to keep people from dying, and that includes everyone working on the case. That woman is risking her life to try to save these boys. I know you just haven’t had a chance to see it from this point of view, but now that you have, you can see how she wouldn’t appreciate any more big stories about her. Right?”

  He nodded his head up and down and Nick loosened his grip a little.

  “I knew you were a reasonable guy. Now, let’s just make sure we understand each other. The Phoenix police are working hard to stop this guy, and you are going to do your best to help them. You’re going to leave the lady out of this, and that includes not mentioning our conversation today. Right?”

  The reporter was obviously shaken, but he was taking a moment to consider the question.

  “I know you like to print all the important news, but you can appreciate how silence can be golden at times. Like when it comes to a young reporter’s new career and having a story about his not so nice background leaked to the press. It would be a shame to spoil his relationship with his new co-workers and his new boss. Probably get him sent to Montana to check on the latest mad cow disease or something. Might even get back to a girlfriend or his mom. Things like that have a way of getting around.”

  The young man slumped back against the car and Nick released his grip. Nick waited for the reporter to get back to his car before he slipped in the back door. Teddy was at his desk waiting.

  “So did you make a new friend?” Teddy didn’t always agree with Nick’s methods, but he never complained. He just tried to bring a little balance to their partnership by being the voice of reason. When that failed, Nick usually new exactly what was needed.

  “I just explained the situation, and he took it under advice.”

  “With your usual persuasive skills.”

  “Hey, you’re the organized one, and I’m the…”

  “The passionate one.”

  “I like that. Speaking of passion, I’d better check in with Whitney.”

  Whitney picked up on the second ring.

  “Hi Whitney. Miss me?”

  “Hi. Actually, yes. I’ve been pretty bored. So, what’s happening with the little boy?”

  “He’s doing pretty well. The doctor wants us to wait until a little later to talk to him. He’s nervous about him remembering the trauma and relapsing. He’s showing signs of coming out of it. Actually, he’s been awake a few times, but it takes a while to get back to reality. They’ll keep us posted on it.”

  “Let me know. I’m hoping I can visit him later tonight. You coming home late?”

  Nick assured her it would be an early night and not to worry. He would be busy doing the boring legwork of a detective, and he was looking forward to heading home early. How could he ever keep his mind on the job with her waiting at home for him? There was no way he could let her go back to living in Sedona.

  Kevin hadn’t been awake again that day, and his doctor didn’t want any unnecessary visitors. Whitney felt useless and restless waiting for something to change. As soon as Nick came through the door she peppered him with questions and finally plopped into a chair.

  “I need something to do.”

  Nick gave her his wicked grin.

  “That’s not what I meant.” She threw a pillow at him.

  His neck was sore from stress and his body was still recuperating from his injuries. He winced as he knocked the pillow away.

  “Well, I guess I could be a little useful and give you a massage. How’s that sound?”

  Nick sighed and gave a hopeful grin. “Like Heaven?”

  Whitney grabbed the lotion from the kitchen and worked for a few minutes in silence. She tried all the techniques she knew, but the knots weren’t going away.

  “Nick, your neck and back are as hard as a rock. I can feel the lumps and bumps, but I’m not sure I’m helping any. Does that feel good?”

  “It’s helping. Dig your thumb right into that knot by my shoulder blade on the left.”

  Whitney found the lump and pushed on it for about twenty-five seconds until she finally started to feel it relaxing. Rubbing Nick was like massaging a boulder. You didn’t get much satisfaction because it never got any softer.

  “Your muscles are pretty tight. You need a professional massage.”

  “Are you offering?”

  “Not from me, from someone who gets paid to do it. My hands aren’t strong enough and I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

  Nick turned around and took Whitney’s hands.

  “Here, let me show you what feels good.”

  Whitney laughed and wriggled away just as the phone rang. Nick got up and walked to the kitchen as he talked to Teddy. When Nick got off the phone, he noticed Whitney had gone pale and looked distressed.

  “Whitney, what’s wrong?” He moved over to the couch and reached for her shaking hands.

  “Nick…I felt him. I feel like he’s right outside. He’s here.”

  Nick jumped up. He called Teddy back and turned on all the outside lights. He strapped on his gun did a quick search outside but couldn’t find anything. Teddy and another patrol car arrived and they searched the whole area. When they were certain he wasn’t lurking outside, they sent everyone home.

  “I’m sorry Nick. I really thought I felt him. Maybe I’m just spooked from everything. I feel so stupid.”

  “That’s okay.” Nick stroked her hair and pulled her closer. “I hope that’s it. But…have you ever been wrong like that before?”

  “Not exactly. It’s hard to tell what it was. It could have been left over energy from something I was reviewing earlier. I don’t know. It’s gone now.”

  “Good. Let’s get some sleep and hope that’s all it was.”

  Whitney and Nick snuggled in close and talked for a little longer. Nick stroked her hair and talked about upbeat things so Whitney could feel calm and safe and go to sleep. He wondered how much therapy they would all need when this was over. He wasn’t too worried about himself, but he couldn’t stop worrying about Whitney.

  She seemed so fragile and devastated by all the recent events. It was hard to believe she lived her life experiencing such torture through other victim’s eyes and minds. If this world wasn’t such a sad place, she might be able to use her talents for something better, something that made her happy.

  “Ever think of going into your own business? You could find lost puppies and help old ladies remember where they left their keys.”

  “I have helped some old ladies before, but I don’t think I could charge them for my services.”

  “That’s true. Maybe you could work for rich people, and let them know which employees they can trust. There must be a need for that somewhere.”

  “I’ve been thinking about taking a long vacation anyway. Maybe I could go to a beach in California and do fortune telling for a while.”

  “Can you do that?�
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  “No.” She slapped his arm like he should have known that was a stupid question. “But neither can the other people who make a living at it.”

  They laughed and tried to think of some funny jobs Nick could do to get out of police work. Whitney’s favorite was picturing Nick as a lifeguard on the beach running around with bikini clad women in need of help.

  “Sounds like a tough job, but I could do it.”

  “I bet. You’d have all the girls chasing you around once you put on your spandex swim shorts.”

  “I don’t think I’d make a great life guard. I’m afraid of sharks.”

  Whitney laughed and turned out the light. She wished that this moment would last forever. She didn’t want to wake up in the morning and deal with the world again. She was having too much fun dreaming with Nick.

  Whitney woke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. She could feel him out there. She didn’t want to cry wolf and wake Nick again, but it felt so real. She quietly got out of bed and looked out the window. She didn’t see anything out there, but she could feel him. It didn’t feel like she was imagining it.

  What if he was really out there? Why didn’t they find him? Why would he come back here? The questions were spinning in her head. He’s bound to get caught hanging around here. Whitney shivered thinking that he might be stalking her. She was afraid that having her on the case had made a psychotic killer even crazier. She finally climbed back into bed, but she didn’t get much sleep the rest of the night.

  Whitney waited until after breakfast to tell Nick that she had felt him again. They decided to take a look outside in the daylight, but they found no evidence of anyone hiding around the house. Nick took the day off. He would go shopping and get her out of town for a while. He decided to post some unmarked police cars around the house tonight to see if they could spot him.

  Whitney felt better once they left the house. They went down to the mall to look for some gifts for Kevin. For some reason she felt guilty that the boys had suffered.

  “Why do I feel like it’s my fault?” She was probably punishing herself for not finding the killer sooner. Her gift could be a curse at times, but this time she wished it worked a lot better. It would be nice to be able to control it and just figure things out immediately. Life was never that easy.

  They decided to pass some time by going to see a movie. They picked the newest comedy that sounded good, and spent a couple hours laughing together.

  “Maybe we should both work at the movies. That would be a good job. We can watch all the new movies when they come out, and we won’t have to catch bad guys.”

  “I don’t think the workers get to sit and watch the movies Whitney.”

  “True. But we could probably eat all the buttered popcorn we want.”

  “Maybe you need to work in a place with lots of food. We can start a restaurant and Teddy can join us.”

  “Let’s do it. Call him now.”

  Nick laughed as he pictured telling Teddy he quit, and inviting him to join him in the restaurant business. He’d probably think it was the best idea his partner had ever had.

  It was almost ten o’clock when they returned to the house. Nick knew there were cars watching the area, and he checked around first before he went inside. He felt pretty certain that no one could get close to the house without someone noticing. Nick didn’t want Whitney to worry, so he kept her very distracted right up until they fell asleep.

  Whitney spent the next few nights waking up and feeling like something was out there. She stayed close to Nick and tried to push it away. When she couldn’t push it away, she tried to reach out and contact it. She couldn’t help holding back because the vibrations she felt were black and cold. It gave her chills every time she felt it. She finally told Nick, after a week of sleepless nights, that it was still happening.

  “I thought something was wrong. Have you looked in the mirror lately? You have dark circles under your eyes and you look like hell. You need to wake me up if it happens again.”

  “Nick, I don’t even know what it is.”

  “We have to figure it out before people start mistaking you for a raccoon.”

  “I’ll let you know, but I feel foolish when we don’t find anything.”

  That night, at 3:15 a.m., Whitney woke Nick. He could see she was frightened. It wasn’t something she could just ignore.

  “Tell me what’s happening Whitney.”

  “I feel someone, or something. It makes me feel…creepy. It feels dark and evil. I know that sounds like a Stephen King book, but it’s all I can think of to explain it. I can’t read the vibrations. I can’t get specific thoughts, just a sense of a presence out there. And I feel like it’s focused on me! I feel like something is out there waiting to get me.”

  Whitney felt foolish breaking down into tears, but she’d held it all inside for the last few nights. It was so hard to be terrified of something so vague. What could she do to stop it? She cried on Nick’s shoulder and he held her without saying anything. She looked up and saw he was angry.

  “I’m going outside. You stay here. I’ll lock the doors behind me. Stay right by this phone and dial 911 if anyone else comes near the house except me. I’m not going far. I have to see.”

  “Wait. Can’t I come with you? Maybe I can track the vibrations and point you in the right direction.”

  “I guess that’s a good idea, but you have to stay at my side at all times.”

  Whitney tried to hone in on the direction she felt the malevolent vibrations coming from. She pointed Nick down through the yard. They walked slowly and quietly in case a person was hiding outside. Nick remembered how the person had come out of nowhere to attack him, and wondered why he hadn’t seen him. He looked closely at the ground to be sure someone wasn’t hiding under a ground cover of some kind.

  Whitney stopped and tried to locate the source again.

  “I think he’s moving. It feels like it’s going away. I’m sorry. This is ridiculous.”

  “No it’s not. We have to consider everything. We know someone’s out there hurting kids, and someone attacked us.”

  Whitney sat down and tried to think. The feeling had passed and it seemed calm again. She looked up at the stars and noticed it had been a while since she had done that.

  “The stars look so bright tonight.”

  “That’s because we’re in the middle of the desert, and it’s the middle of the night.”

  “I wish we were just star gazing and relaxing instead of chasing a ghost. I’m sorry I keep freaking out.”

  “Stop saying sorry. We can sit and star gaze a while if you’d like.”

  “No, we’d better get back. Maybe I’m just sensing some other evil person planning something in the neighborhood. Maybe he wakes up at night and thinks about it or he’s dreaming it.”

  “You’re tired. Now that we’ve done this let’s go back and snuggle close and try to get some sleep.”

  Whitney did manage to fall asleep with Nick holding her. At least they had tried, and she had shared her fears with someone. Now if she could just get this case over with, maybe she’d stop feeling like evil was chasing her.

  * * * *

  Whitney couldn’t imagine another day trying to stay busy or just hanging around the station. She had to find somewhere she could feel safe, and feel productive at the same time. Nick suggested she go visit his sister and the kids. That would keep her busy. He made sure there were patrol cars watching her and the house at all times.

  Lisa was thrilled to have adult conversation in her hectic day. The oldest was in school, but the eight year old was home recuperating from a case of the chicken pox. She fed the little ones breakfast and sat down with Whitney for a cup of coffee.

  “You’re kids are beautiful,” Whitney said envious of the love she felt in the house.

  “Thank you. They look especially sweet when they’re sleeping,” Lisa said laughing. “But that’s how all moms feel. They don’t leave me alone for a minute.�
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  As if on cue the four year old came screaming to complain that her little brother had dumped his juice on her cereal. Lisa went to solve the crisis and then sat back down.

  “No one told me the biggest part of having kids is being a referee. Now that Nathan is in his terrible twos, he loves to torment Brittany. Of course she makes sure he gets it back double.”

  “Nathan is two? He’s so smart.” She studied the pictures of family members on the wall. “He looks a lot like your brother.”

  “Everyone says that. He looks more like Nick than he does like Gary or me. The other kids look more like Gary’s side of the family.”

  “I bet they adore their uncle.”

  “They sure do. Steven, the eight year old has decided he’s going to be a cop too. I’m hoping he changes his mind by then. He used to want to be a superhero, but he’s grown out of that. So…are you planning to have children some day?” Lisa giggled at the nosy question.

  Whitney smiled as she considered the interesting images popping out of Lisa’s head. She was imaging little Nick and Whitney’s running around and climbing all over Nick.

  “I’ve always wanted children, but I’m not sure that having me for a mom is such a great thing.”

  “You seem like you’d make a great mom.”

  They discussed children and brothers for a while and then Lisa began her chores for the day. Whitney was happy to have something to do, so she pitched in and got busy. By late afternoon she was sitting on the couch wondering how Lisa could do this day after day.

  “Lisa, being here today has helped me decide something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “If I ever do have kids, two’s the limit!”

  They laughed and watched the two year old try to climb back onto Whitney’s lap. The kids had enjoyed having another adult around all day to give them extra attention. She had read to them and played games with them and then helped with housework during naptime.

  Lisa stood up after a five-minute rest and announced she had to start supper.

  “I’m so glad you and Nick can stay for dinner. Nick’s told me he cares for you very much, and it’s been very nice to meet you…but I can’t wait to see you two together. That sounds funny I guess. But I’ve been waiting for my brother to fall head over heels in love with someone, and I think it’s finally happened.”